HARRISBURG, PA – Sonya M. McKnight, a 57-year-old magistrate judge currently under suspension, has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault. The charges come after an incident where she allegedly shot her estranged partner, Michael McCoy, in the head while he was asleep, as reported by local law enforcement.
The Susquehanna Township Police, in their arrest affidavit, disclosed that gunshot residue was discovered on McKnight’s hands an hour post the shooting of McCoy. The incident occurred at McCoy’s residence in Harrisburg in the early hours of Saturday.
On Friday, McKnight was detained at the Dauphin County Prison, with her bail set at $300,000. No legal representation for her was listed in the court records. A lawyer who had previously represented her stated that he was no longer her legal counsel and refrained from commenting further. Attempts to reach McKnight for a comment were unsuccessful.
As a result of the shooting, McCoy, 54, is now blind in his right eye, according to the authorities. Police documents reveal that McCoy had been trying to sever their one-year relationship and had repeatedly asked McKnight to vacate his residence.
Police reports indicate that McCoy had a gunshot wound that entered his right temple and exited through his left. McCoy insisted at the scene and later at the hospital that he did not inflict the injury on himself.
Surveillance footage from doorbell cameras of neighboring houses contradicted McKnight’s claim that she had not left McCoy’s residence on the night of the shooting. The weapon used in the incident was registered to McKnight, and both parties confirmed that they were the only ones present at the time of the shooting.
Due to a conflict of interest, the case was transferred from the Dauphin County district attorney’s office to Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack.
McKnight, who has been serving as an elected judge in Dauphin County since 2016, was suspended without pay by the Court of Judicial Discipline, which handles misconduct allegations against judges, in mid-November. The Judicial Conduct Board has accused McKnight of violating the terms of her judicial probation from a previous misconduct case.